Wire winding apparatus



Jan. 23, R c PIERCE WIRE WINDING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 29, 1935 v INVENTOR. ROBERT C. P/EQC /ndwb IU N m mn M GA Wm N ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 WIRE WINDING APPARATUS Robert 0. Pierce, Niles, Mich, assignor to National Standard Company, Niles, Micln, a corporation of Michigan t if? Qriginal application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,065. Divided and this application Janllar'y 28, 1938, Serial N0. 187,508

' 4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling wire, and is illustratedasembodied in apparatus for winding a series or band of wires under uniform tension on a spool or the like.

the levers 52 slightly against the resistance of the weights 58, releasing the brakes sufliciently to permit the swift bodies to turn against the resistance thereof. This action operates automatil One of the objects of the invention is to provide cally to keep a uniform tension on each wire.

apparatus for handling wire in which a plurality The wires next pass over an inclined guide roller of wires maybe wound in a substantially flat band 82, which directs them as a band of adjacent but on a spool or the like without interference benon-interfering wires to and over rollers 84 and 1 tween the adjacent wires. 85 rotatable on vertical axes, whence they pass I. The apparatus illustrated in the drawing in- (directed by one or more rollerguides 88 shown chides a numberof vertical swifts, each provided as changing the plane of the wire band from with a novel device for maintaining uniform tenvertical to horizontal) over two rollers 90 and sion, from which the series of wires is unwound under an intermediate roller 92, which three and led to and over a pair of guide rollers. The rollers serve to hold the band of wires with .a 1| first guide roller is mounted on a horizontal axis. fixed resistance.

and maintains the desired spacing of the Wires so The band of wires is then directed by a rethat they do not interfere with each other; the versing carriage 94 operated by the usual double second guide roller is on an inclined axis and. worm 96, to be wound upon a spool or the like 98 guides them, as a flat band of adjacent but nonmounted on a shaft I00. The shaft IE0 is shown interfering wires held under sufficient tension geared to the worm 95 and as driven by a pulley 20 individually to keep t e n place, to rollers on mechanism I02 operated by a belt (not shown), vertical axes from which they pass to the means or it may be motor driven. Winding the band of individually-tensioned It will be noted that the wires are under tenwires onto a spool or the like. sion as they leave the swifts, that they pass under The above and other objects and features of the roller 18 under tension, then they passover the 25 invention, including VariOuS novel combinations inclined roller 82 under tension, they are still and desirable co struc io s, W be pp under tension inpassing over rollers 88, 90, and from the following description of the illustrative 92, d they are finally wound, with the wires embodiment shown in t e ac mp y draW- still individually tensioned, as a flat band of ing, in which: v wires on the spool 98. It will thus be noted that 30 Figure l s a p p V Of the cnmplete n" the continuous individual tensioning of the wires paratus; and aids in controlling them and preventing them Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, from interfering with one another. showing the Swifts in Side elevation- The change of the plane of the band of wires As shown, a numbe six) o wifts 26, eac from horizontal to vertical and back to horizontal 35 carrying a coil of wire 12, are mounted on a suitt only permits t building of compact apable base 14. The wire from each swift is wound paratus Since t winding mechanism 94 02 may (prefe ab e twice) r n the upper part of the be placed beside the swifts, but also (by the placupri t po i 28 of the Swifts n around guide ing of rollers 82 and as) aids in controlling the 0 roller 10, and thence (over suitable gui rollers wires. 16 where needed) to and below a single horizonwhile one illustrative apparatus has been tal guide roller 18- which maintains the wires scribed in detail, it is not my intention to limit p d as desired, in Such a manner that they thescope of the invention to that particular apcannot in er e With each h 1 paratus, or otherwise than by the terms of the The guide rollers '10 are carried by bellcrank appended claims 5 levers 52 which carry suitable'brake mechanism What is claimed engageable with the base of the swifts to resist 1. In a winding unit including a plurality of rotation thereof. W s 58 are provided on swifts rotatable about vertical axes and arranged the levers 52 urging them in a direction to engage to permit the unwinding f wire th r from under the brakes. The swifts per so are e p substantially uniform tension the combination of, 5,0 ularly described and c a in my Copending guide rollers receiving wires from said swifts and application Serial No. 52,065, filed November 29, maintaining them. in eparated relationship, the 1935, ow S- Patent of which first of said rollers being on a horizontal axis this application is a division. and the second being on an inclined axis, guide It will be noted that tension on the wires rocks rollers on vertical axes receiving the wires from the inclined guide roller and feeding them as a band of adjacent parallel wires, and means for winding said band of wires on a spool.

2. In a winding unit including a plurality of swifts rotatable about vertical axes and arranged to permit the unwinding of wire therefrom under substantially uniform tension the combination of, guide rollers receiving wires from said swifts and maintaining them in separated relationship, the first of said rollers being on a horizontal axis and the second being on an inclined axis, the horizontal roller being below the level at which the wires come from the swifts and having said wires passing under it individually tensioned and the inclined roller being higher than the horizontal roller and having the individually tensioned wires passing over it converging into a band of wires arranged side by side, guide rollers on vertical axes receiving the wires from the inclined guide roller and feeding them as a band of adjacent parallel wires, and means for winding said band of wires on a spool.

3. In a winding unit including a plurality of swifts rotatable about vertical axes and arranged to permit the unwinding of wire therefrom under substantially uniform tension the combination of, guide rollers receiving wires from said swifts and maintaining them in separated relationship, the first of said rollers being on a horizontal axis and the second being on an inclined axis, the horizontal roller being below the level at which the Wires come from the swifts and having said wires passing under it individually tensioned and the inclined roller being higher than the horizontal roller and having the individually tensioned wires passing over it converging into a band of wires arranged side by side, guide rollers on vertical axes receiving the wires from the inclined guide roller and feeding them as a band of adjacent parallel wires, and means for winding said band of wires on a spool including a roller for turning the band of wires back into a horizontal plane and a horizontal wind-up spool and a reversing carriage for guiding the band of wires onto the spool.

4. In a winding unit including a plurality of swifts rotatable about vertical axes and arranged to permit the unwinding of wire therefrom under substantially uniform tension, the combination of guide rollers receiving wires from said swifts and maintaining them in separated relationship, the first of said rollers being on a horizontal axis and the second being on an inclined axis, guide rollers on vertical axes receiving the wires from the inclined guide roller and feeding them as a band of adjacent parallel wires, and means for 

